Clotted Blood specimens are not acceptable. To reduce specimen contamination, powder-free gloves are recommended during collection. Blood should be drawn through an indwelling plastic intracath needle into a trace metal free evacuated tube (e.g. B/D Royal blue top Vacutainer®) containing EDTA as a preservative. If using a steel needle, contamination may be reduced by discarding the first tube.
Tubes containing Heparin based anticoagulants are not acceptable.
Royal Blue top tube (Trace metal-free; EDTA)
Royal Blue top tube (Trace metal-free; Sodium Heparin). Plastic container. Light Green top tube (Lithium Heparin). Lavender top tube (EDTA). Green top tube (Sodium Heparin). Tan top tube - glass (Sodium Heparin). Gray top tube (Sodium Fluoride / Potassium Oxalate). Green top tube (Lithium Heparin).
Rejection criteria pertain to clinical sample submissions only.
Room Temperature: 30 day(s)
Refrigerated: 30 day(s)
Frozen (-20 °C): 3 month(s)